Media, Journalism and Culture (BA)

Why study this course

The overall aim of our Media, Journalism and Culture course is to equip you to become a well-informed citizen in a media-saturated society.

Our courses study the many facets of journalism, media, culture and communications, and consider in an era of globalisation and dynamic social change their impact on society, politics and popular culture. They provide you with job-specific skills such as research methods and optionally, journalistic practice as well as much broader transferable skills valuable to a range of sectors.

This degree begins from the assumption that in order to understand modern society, we need to understand the central role that media and the cultural industries play in that society.

While you will be able to take a limited number of more practical modules, the emphasis of the degree is academic and analytical.

You will join a stimulating intellectual environment committed to maximising your potential through personal development and careers events. Many of our experienced lecturers are internationally recognised in their subject areas.

While this course is both challenging and academic in nature, it does NOT provide vocational journalism training.

Distinctive features

The distinctive features of the course include:

You will study in a new purpose-built School in the centre of Cardiff's all-new Central Square development.

We are located next to national media organisations such as Media Wales and BBC Cymru/Wales.

We have been ranked by the Guardian’s University League Table as one of the top five Schools for Journalism and Public Relations in the UK, for the last five years.

For Communication and Media Studies, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019 found us to be the fourth best in the UK and sixth best in Europe.

ABB-BBB
You will not need to achieve these from any specific subjects but please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking will not be accepted.

Extended Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

Other UK qualifications may also be accepted, often in lieu of A-levels, but subject requirements must be met. If you are offering non-UK qualifications, our qualification equivalences guide should allow you to calculate what kind of offer you are likely to receive.

Please be aware that this is a general guide, and that some programmes may have more detailed or specific entry requirements which will be reflected in your offer.

Other accepted qualifications

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.
If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

access to computers or devices that can store images

use of internet and communication tools/devices

curfews

freedom of movement

contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Interview or selection process

No interview process, offer holders will be invited to Applicant Visit days in Feb/March each year.

Tuition fees

UK and EU students (2020/21)

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Students from outside the EU (2020/21)

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Additional costs

Course specific equipment

You will not need any specific equipment.

Accommodation

We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.

Course structure

The BA in Media, Journalism and Culture is a three-year, full time, modular course. Most modules include 12 weeks of teaching and the rest of the semester is devoted to exams and other kinds of assessment, along with the processes of marking and exam boards.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2020/21 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2020.

Year one

All of our Single Honours degree programmes share a common first year. This is designed to give you a sound foundation in all of the contemporary and historical contexts of journalism, media and culture. It also introduces you to the practicalities of high-quality academic writing, analysis and research.

In total six core 20-credit modules are taught mainly using a lecture/seminar format. During your lectures you will be introduced to new ideas and approaches and carry out more applied and team-based work in your seminars.

Year two

Two core and four optional modules are taught mainly using a lecture/seminar format, although the tasks developed in seminars will be more ambitious.

You will be expected to develop research protocols, both on your own and in groups, and will begin to experiment with and design methodological procedures (such as survey methods, ethnography, and content and discourse analysis).

By the end of year two, you will have the skills necessary to write a dissertation in year three.

Year three

Year three consists of an optional dissertation, one core module and a choice of elective modules allowing you to specialise in your areas of interest. While a number of these will be based on a lecture/workshop format, the range of teaching methods will be more diverse and involve assignments of greater complexity and challenge.

You will conduct independent research and apply theoretical ideas and approaches to practical and/or analytical work.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Learning and assessment

Our teaching is often led and informed by our research. You will be taught in a supportive environment and assigned a personal tutor who is a member of academic staff and able to advise on a wide range of issues.

There will be multi-media and new media learning and production practices should you opt for some of the more practical journalism and media modules.

How will I be supported?

You will have regular meetings with your personal tutor.

You will have access through the Learning Central website to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.

What skills will I practise and develop?

You will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’, which will allow you to:

read, analyse and synthesise complex academic texts

analyse different media texts, including word, image and sound

communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech

learn from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights

work both independently and as part of a team, developing a collaborative approach to problem-solving

carry out various forms of independent research for essays, projects, creative productions or dissertations

work to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time

use IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate

take responsibility for your own learning programme and professional development

Careers

Career prospects

Our students have an excellent reputation for finding employment after they graduate.

The most recent DLHE data (2016/17), shows that 96% of our graduates reported they were in employment or further studies within six months of graduation.

Career roles

Our graduates find their skills to be helpful in a range of communications and public relations roles. Our alumni benefit from their ability to write copy quickly, effectively and for a specific audience. Our graduates often succeed in business due to their ability to structure a coherent written and verbal argument when pitching their business ideas.

Some of our graduates utilise their newfound knowledge of current affairs and world politics to pursue a career in journalism.

Because our undergraduate degrees do not provide journalism training or a journalistic accreditation, many chose to progress on to our Masters courses, such as broadcast, magazine, news or computational journalism, to gain their practical training.

In fact, you will gain skills applicable to a range of modern media driven jobs, recent career pathways and roles have included:

TV Production – Producer and researcher

Advertising – Copy writer and campaign manager

Public Relations – Account manager and writer

Teaching – Various disciplines

Journalism – Local reporter and blogger

Movie Production – Writer and producer

Publishing – Writer and copy editor

Communications – Press/communications officer

Studying in Welsh

Up to 33% of this course is available through the medium of Welsh. Please contact the Admissions tutor for more information.